Best and Worst European Airlines for Seniors in 2026

KLM is the best airline for elderly passengers in Europe in AirAdvisor's 2026 study, scoring 89.4/100. KLM is followed by LOT Polish Airlines at 81.6 and British Airways at 76.4.

We rank 30 European airlines using 10 senior-specific metrics related to accessibility and assistance. We reviewed important senior travel elements, such as wheelchair assistance, companion seating, boarding help, medication/medical equipment, and disruption or connection support.

The study distinguishes between benefits offered specifically because of a passenger's age and accessibility services available to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility under EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006.

Age alone doesn’t automatically qualify a passenger for these assistance services.

Key takeaways

• KLM is the most senior-friendly European airline of the 30 included in our study.

• LOT Polish Airlines and British Airways complete the top three.

• With its fourth-place rank, easyJet shows that low-cost doesn’t necessarily mean poor accessibility support.

• Air France stands out for offering a dedicated senior fare benefit.

• Before committing to a fare, families and senior travellers should compare assistance booking, companion seating, medication rules, and connection requirements alongside price.

The best European airlines for senior travellers

At the time of publishing, data was not available for every category. The evidence coverage information shows how much was included.

What the Senior-Friendly Flying Index found

The overall ranking shows which airlines perform best across all 10 categories, but the individual scores reveal some more interesting patterns:

KLM is the most consistent airline across the categories

In every verified category (9 out of 10), KLM scores 4 or 5 out of 5, which is consistent and above average. That’s the main reason KLM ranks first for seniors in our 30-airline study.

• Seniors with reduced mobility flying with KLM can request free priority boarding. 

• Medications in small packages can be stored in the onboard refrigerator.

• Medical devices are welcome onboard. Oxygen can be brought with you or provided by KLM. All you need to do is complete the medical information form.

• When travelling with a companion, KLM does its best to ensure you’re seated together free of charge.

• The only unverified category for KLM was senior fares and flexibility, so an average score of 3/5 was assumed.

Low-cost airlines perform better than you might expect

easyJet is the highest-ranking low-cost airline in the study. But other affordable airlines are in the top 10, too, namely Vueling and Ryanair.

easyJet: lower costs without sacrificing senior comfort

• Final score: 4th place, 74.6/100.

• easyJet allows you to travel with 2 mobility aids (no extra charge).

• Medical equipment can be additional to the normal cabin-bag allowance with a doctor’s note and depending on size. Cooler bags and gel packs for temperature-sensitive medication are also permitted.

• The evidence coverage for easyJet is 82%, with only the senior fares and disruption categories unverified.

Vueling and Ryanair: the other senior-friendly low-cost carriers

• Vueling ranks 6th in our study with a final score of 72.2/100, and Ryanair is close behind in 7th at 69/100.

• Both the Ryanair and Vueling special assistance policies allow for suitable seating for passengers requiring assistance and one companion without an additional seat-selection charge.

• Both allow necessary medical equipment in addition to the normal cabin baggage allowance without an extra baggage charge. This can include equipment such as CPAP machines and portable oxygen concentrators, although individual devices may require approval.

• Both accommodate mobility equipment without the usual baggage charges.

• Ryanair carries an onboard aisle wheelchair on every aircraft, which crew can use to help passengers reach the toilet door. Its toilets also have grab bars.

• A senior-specific downside of a Ryanair flight is that they never allow free priority boarding for seniors; you have to purchase it.

• With Vueling, passengers with special needs plus their companions must not normally exceed 10% of the aircraft's capacity, so book early.

Best European airline for each type of support

Other than our overall winner, KLM, these are the airline highlights based on specific categories:

Best for senior discount and flexibility: Air France (5/5)

Ranking 5th overall, Air France has a Senior Pass that affords discounts and other benefits:

• For passengers 65+

• Up to 30% off

• One free checked bag per ticket

Best for assistance booking: LOT Polish Airlines (5/5)

LOT lands in 2nd place and scores 5/5 for assistance booking. You can book it at the same time as your flight, after booking by logging in and clicking Manage My Booking, using an online form, or by calling.

Best for companion seating: easyJet (5/5)

With easyJet, your companion is guaranteed the same fare price, even if they book later. Plus, the airline will seat you as close as possible without a seat selection fee.

Best for cognitive and sensory support: AEGEAN (5/5)

AEGEAN’s free assistance specifically covers older passengers with dementia or Alzheimer's, while dedicated support is also available for passengers with visual or hearing impairments.

Best for wheelchair and attendant support: LOT Polish Airlines (5/5)

LOT distinguishes between 3 levels of wheelchair assistance, so support can be matched to whether a passenger needs help with long airport distances, stairs, or reaching the aircraft seat.

At the highest level, attendants can accompany the passenger from their arrival at the airport all the way to their seat on the aircraft, plus assistance after landing.

The lowest-scoring European airlines

The bottom two airlines in our European ranking of the best airlines for senior travellers are Pegasus and Transavia.

• Pegasus Airlines: 57/100. Just 15% of the weighted criteria were verified, so firm conclusions are difficult. It scores 2/5 for assistance booking. Passengers need to call to book assistance, and you have to be extremely specific about your capabilities and requirements.

• Transavia: 59.4/100. Evidence coverage was only 27%, with verified scores available for just two categories. Transavia scored 4/5 for companion seating. Its other verified category, assistance booking, scored 2/5, which pulls the overall score below 60. Plus, if you need to be lifted into your seat, you can't pick one in advance; Transavia assigns the most accessible seat for you.

Our methodology: what makes an airline senior-friendly

To create the Senior-Friendly Flying Index 2026, the AirAdvisor study assessed 30 major airlines operating across Europe, selected to represent a broad cross-section of the market, including full-service, low-cost and leisure carriers.

Airline policies were reviewed on 21 October 2026 across 10 categories particularly relevant to older travellers. Here they are with the corresponding weights:

1. Each criterion was scored from 0 to 5, with higher scores representing stronger documented policies. To calculate the final score, we used the formula: weight x (score/5) for each category. For example, a score of 4/5 in assistance booking contributes 12 points.

2. Where we couldn’t verify an airline's policy, we assigned a neutral 3/5 value to calculate the provisional overall ranking. A 0 would unfairly penalise the airline.

3. Evidence coverage = the share of scoring weight we could verify from published policies. Below 50%, treat the score as provisional.

4. The study assesses published airline policies, not passengers' experiences of how those policies are delivered in practice. 

5. Our focus is on the commercial benefits offered specifically to older passengers, and not on accessibility rights under EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006. 

Examples of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 rights

• Article 7(1): request assistance at least 48 hours before departure, or the airline and airport only have to make 'reasonable efforts'.

• Article 8: the airport, not the airline, is responsible for wheelchair help inside EU airports.

• If assistance fails, complain to the airline, then to the national enforcement body (in the UK, the CAA, which publishes annual airport accessibility ratings).

What if a senior traveller's flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your flight from an EU or UK airport arrives 3+ hours late or is canceled at short notice, you could be owed up to €600 (or £520 under UK261), plus meals and a hotel while you wait.

Older passengers have the same passenger rights as any other eligible passenger under EU261.

Compensation for disruptions

Under EU261 and UK261, you may be entitled to delay or cancellation compensation of up to €600 or £520, depending on the circumstances, distance, and length of the disruption.

Care and assistance during a delay

Separate from flight delay compensation claims and depending on the delay time, the airline also has a duty of care (Under Article 9 of EU261), which means providing meals and refreshments, accommodation when an overnight stay becomes necessary, and transport between the airport and hotel.

With seniors, a long delay or unexpected overnight stay can be especially difficult. Medication schedules can be disrupted, while rebooking may mean the last-minute booking of wheelchair assistance or companion seating needs to be arranged again.

Which airline to book: quick picks by need

We’ve shown that KLM scores the highest of our 30 airlines, but it’s also true that low-cost airlines shouldn’t be “discounted” as unfriendly to seniors just because the fares may be more affordable.

Need a wheelchair to the seat? Pick LOT. Flying with a companion on a budget? easyJet. Living with dementia? AEGEAN.

Tip: Book assistance early and leave yourself extra time before departure and during connections.

If an airline disrupts your journey, AirAdvisor can check whether your flight qualifies for compensation and help you make a claim.